Stabledoor - Diocese of Oxford...Revd Clare Sykes from Botley in Oxford model the new Dorcas Dress. The dresses are designed by Maria Skoyles, and Oxford based fashion and textiles

Stabledoorwww.oxford.anglican.org

January 2018 no 298

“...whoever follows me will not walk in darkness...” John 8 vs 12

Photo: KT Bruce

Learning from Auschwitz - page 12

Meet Catherine from BeSpace - page 12

Read a Christmas re�ection from Bishop Steven in the Doorway

Win Fairtrade chocolate - page 5

2 News

School children celebrate St Frideswide

A BERKSHIRE primary school and staff at Christ Church Cathedral teamed up to conduct a pilgrimage to celebrate the life of Oxford’s patron saint. Yattendon CE Primary School suspends its teaching timetable one day per year to celebrate the life of a remarkable Anglo Saxon princess who fled to Oxford to escape the attention of Algar, pagan king of Mercia. Princess Frideswide healed many people and a well from the legend, which was reputed to have healing properties, is near to Yattendon and is the pilgrimage destination. To celebrate the patronal festival each class spent the morning on creative activities inspired by the saint and were joined by history expert Ruth Buckley and Christ Church Cathedral Education Officer Jackie Holderness. The younger children acted out the story of the princess’ adventures, while Years 3 and 4 played a game, which

involved the children reading short extracts from the saint’s legend, written in verse. In the Cathedral, Edward Burne-Jones’ window tells the story in stained glass and the children had to match a laminated picture of the window to each verse. The older children performed a group drama about the life of St Frideswide. After lunch the whole school gathered for the pilgrimage to the holy well for a service. Jackie said: “While history and tradition are important, the story of Frideswide seems to resonate with the Yattendon children primarily as an example of witness. The children seem to appreciate her example of trust in God, to whom she had dedicated her life. “They are also very aware of Frideswide’s compassion and kindness, courage and determination, and her desire for a contemplative and prayerful life.”

WHEN the Revd Jenny Ellis spotted an advert in the Bucks Free Press asking for people who loved good food and wanted to lose weight for a documentary she couldn’t resist applying. Having narrowly missed out on a part in Come Dine With Me a few years earlier, Jenny was delighted to be selected to take part in Tom Kerridge’s Lose Weight for Good. She will make her small screen debut early in 2018. Jenny is the co-ordinator of the Multi-Faith Chaplaincy at Bucks New University, and a member of the West Wycombe Team, mainly ministering at St Botolph’s, Bradenham. “The film crew accompanied me to work, I was filmed cooking in my kitchen, at St Botolph’s, reading in my study, enjoying a family meal and at my weekly riding lesson. “The latter caused much hilarity as the film company insisted I rode in my dog collar for ease of identification. We all had to have a ‘signature’ outfit that we wore every time we were filmed to facilitate cutting and help viewers recognise us,” says Jenny, who has two grown up daughters and is married to the Revd

Hugh Ellis, the vicar of All Saints, High Wycombe. Tom is famous for losing 12 stone himself and is now on a mission to help others sensibly lose weight by making small but significant lifestyle changes. Jenny is one of 13 people, including a photographer, an engineer, a nurse and a police officer selected to be part of the show, which was filmed by Bone Soup productions. The regime consisted of weekly weigh-ins, a food diary and a fortnightly sheaf of recipes to try out – all strictly calorie counted. Jenny said: “One aspect of Tom’s ‘message’ was that people gave up on diets because the food was boring, so he set out to create food that we would enjoy eating. “I can honestly say there were times when I sat down to my ‘diet’ supper and was totally incredulous that I would actually lose weight eating the quantity of food on the plate. I counted and recounted the calories, and sure enough, there were nowhere near as many as you might expect from a plate groaning with colourful, tasty food. A particular favourite became griddled haloumi cheese with griddled mediterranean veg and beetroot houmous.

“Some of the options were so simple it was ludicrous that I hadn’t tried them before.” Examples include swapping mayonnaise with a low fat crème fraiche in a potato salad, and using sliced courgette instead of pasta in lasagne. “All of the recipes I tried actually tasted better than their higher calorie

counterparts. I found I had more energy and hardly ever suffered from indigestion,” Jenny added. Tom Kerridge’s Lose Weight for Good documentary will be aired on BBC Two in the new year.

Wycombe’s Revd Jenny in weight loss television show

The dieters before the filming started. Tom Kerridge is in the centre and Jenny is in the front row, third from the left . Photo: John Rogers/Bone Soup Productions.

Children enjoy circle dancing during the day’s activities. Photo: Christ Church, Oxford

THE Revd Laura Biron Scott, a curate from Kidlington, and the Revd Clare Sykes from Botley in Oxford model the new Dorcas Dress. The dresses are designed by Maria Skoyles, and Oxford based fashion and textiles expert. The dresses are simple to create, come in a range of fabrics and are a one-size fits all that even expand for a woman who is pregnant, and open easily for breast feeding. Maria has designed the dress so that it can be produced with the simplest machinery, in the remotest parts of the world.

Clergy model the new Dorcas Dress

• www.mariaskoyles.co.uk • facebook.com/DorcasDressProject/ • twitter.com/dorcas_dress

Photo: Jo Duckles

ST LUKE’S CE Primary School in Maidenhead has been rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted inspectors. They reported that the school “is a haven of tolerance and respect… a calm, caring, and friendly place where everyone feels valued” and praised the “exceptional” school leadership and governance. They highlighted how disadvantaged pupils, pupils with special educational needs and pupils with English as an additional language, are supported effectively and achieve well. Amanda Hough, the head teacher, was described in the report as inspirational and the strength of her leadership team was praised. Amanda said: “I am absolutely thrilled with the Ofsted judgement and have always believed that we could and would be Outstanding. I am immensely proud of our pupils, both present and past,

and feel privileged to be their headteacher. I am also blessed with an amazing team who go above and beyond for the pupils in our care. The report also recognises how the Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust (ODST) supports the school effectively, providing “significant knowledge and expertise’ and enhancing the governors’ strategic leadership.” Anne Davey, the chief executive of ODST, said: “We are so delighted that St Luke’s has been rated Outstanding. St Luke’s is an exceptional school, where pupils thrive and parents can be confident that their child is safe, happy and making progress. The headteacher and staff are dedicated to ensuring the best possible environment and education for every child, and we are extremely proud that the inspection team have recognised that in this report.”

‘Outstanding’ Ofsted at St Luke’s

3News

A GRADE I listed 12th century church has undergone major conservation work. Aldermaston Church in Berkshire was identified as at risk four years ago when its wall paintings were added to the 100 Church Treasures and a conservation grant from The Headley Trust followed. Conservator Peter Martindale carried out a condition report in 2014 and the Church Buildings Council (CBC) was brought in. It was determined that urgent treatment was needed, as was an assessment of the effect

of the building and heating systems on the wall paintings. In 2017, Peter undertook emergency conservation treatments on the wall paintings including the picture of St Thomas à Becket. Tobit Curteis Associates undertook an environmental survey of the building. A meeting of the parish, conservators, and CBC will use the reports to formulate a long-term conservation plan for the building and wall paintings.

800 year-old wall paintings saved

Churches step in as homelessness continues to riseby Jo Duckles

CHRISTIANS across the Thames Valley region are helping provide food and shelter for increasing numbers of rough sleepers this winter. Plummeting temperatures and rising levels of homelessness have inspired churches to run the first ever ecumenical winter night shelter in Oxford. With more than 200 volunteers and over £13,000 in donations, the emergency night shelter will provide accommodation for up to 10 homeless men and women during January, February and March. The churches involved are St Aldate’s, St Alban’s, St Clement’s, St Columba’s, St Ebbe’s, St Michael at the Northgate and Wesley Memorial Church. Oxford’s homeless chaplain, the Revd Mary Gurr, was aware of an increase in the number of rough sleepers in Oxford. Meanwhile, in Newbury, a similar ecumenical project, but with homeless people offered beds at the Salvation Army building, began on 1 December and will run until the end of February. The Revd Debbie Davison, from St John’s Church in Newbury, said: “We are still looking for volunteers. It’s the first time we’ve done it in recent years but the number of rough sleepers is definitely rising. There is even a man with a terminal illness who is sleeping rough in Newbury and it’s heartbreaking to see. People have really rallied around him though, bringing him pillows and supplies.” In Bracknell, Holy Trinity Church is taking part in a night shelter organised by the Pilgrim Hearts charity. Churches from seven denominations are involved, each providing  once a week a warm place

to spend the evening, an evening meal, a bed for the night, and breakfast. Angela Evans from Holy Trinity is one of the team leaders who helps with the breakfast shift. She said the shelter started in 2016. “The idea is to reach out to those on the margins, those with no home,” she said. There are usually about 10 people who sleep in the designated church, and up to 17 who drop in for dinner and breakfast. A team of more than 25 volunteers help run the project, which is supported by donations from the church and the wider community.” In Milton Keynes, an established winter night shelter running across seven churches and providing accomodation for up to 15 rough sleepers opened its doors on 1 December. For the first time this year, another seven locations are joining the scheme on 15 December. This will mean provision will increase from 15 beds to 30. Richard Wightman, a leader at the New Life Church in MK, said the charity had also got use of the town’s old bus station, which will soon be used during the day to provide services and classes for the homeless and vulnerably housed. “They have to be specific services rather than drop-ins, so there will be groups for refugees and adult life-skills classes,” said Richard. Wycombe Homeless Connection in High Wycombe celebrated its 10th anniversary this year. All Saints Church Wycombe and All Saints Marlow held sleep-outs which saw more than 90 people braving the cold weather to raise £30,000 for the connection, which provides a winter night shelter as well as advice and services all year round to the homeless and vulnerably housed.

“That money will be used to pay for our front-line staff who give incredible advice to those who access our services,” says volunteer Heather Morely. “We helped a total of 504 people in the year to April 2017 (up from 439 the year before, so a sharp rise). That number will be higher again when we do a count in April 2018, as numbers attending our weekday drop-in Support Centre are on the up, and currently running at an average of 14 people a day.” Students, staff, canons and tutors from Christ Church slept over night in the Cathedral to raise money for the Church Urban Fund. This is the third year running that they have braved the cold in order

to support the work CUF does to support homeless people throughout the country. The sleepout took place in late November when around 25 people took part. To donate to the Oxford night shelter, donate to Barclays, 20-65-20 83541320.  Cheques payable to Oxford Winter Night Shelter can be sent c/o Parish Manager, OWNS, St Michael at the Northgate, Cornmarket, OX1 3EY.

Mission unlimited with the Mothers’ Union

EVERYONE is welcome to join an organisation with more than four million members in 83 countries. That organisation is the Mothers’ Union, which makes a difference in communities across the world, including across the Thames Valley region, as well as on a national and international level. The charity even has a special consultative status at the UN to help transform lives all over the world. In the Oxford Diocese the MU supports families of sick children at several hospitals; runs drop-in sessions for parents with young children; sends cards to prisoners and provides holidays for disadvantaged families. The latest initiative is Stories on the Street, a community development process that empowers churches to address community issues. After successful projects in Africa the scheme is now being trialled in Berkshire. Visit www.muoxford.org for more.

Children and adults enjoy a toddle event in the CHURN Benefice. Photo: MU Oxford

Anna Moriarty joins in the sleepout in All Saints Marlow. Photo: Wycombe Homeless Connection.

• winternightshelterMk.com • wyhoc.org.uk/

CHRISTMAS came early for staff and pupils at St Laurence’s CE School in Warborough as their new library with a difference was driven into the school grounds. Previously, a large bookshelf in the multi-purpose hall at the village school in Oxfordshire was hidden behind the stage. It was the only library facility. Now pupils are excited as they board the brightly decorated bus, which has been decked out with bean bags, to read their favourite books.

A library with a difference in Warborough

• Find out what these children love to read here: www.oxford.anglican.org/readingbus

Advertisement FeatureThe Door January 2018, page 4

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5

Yvonne Morris, our diocesan children’s adviser, provides a way for families and children’s workers to have chilled out conversations about the Christmas story.

Use the wonderings and questions as a springboard to share together your stories, thoughts and experiences.

  There are no right or wrong answers – this is an invitation to be and talk together. All these things are signposts pointing

towards an event called Christmas. Did you know that in God’s big story, written in the Bible, there are many signposts pointing towards Christmas? They don’t involve Christmas jumpers, writing cards or watching Christmas movies. Around 700 years before Jesus was born, the prophet Isaiah wrote about his coming. Isaiah wasn’t the only prophet to know that Jesus would come. Jeremiah, Daniel and Micah are just some of the prophets who were so close to God they knew what he was saying. A bit like a jigsaw puzzle, each prophet had a piece that in time would come together to make a picture, pointing to

when God’s promises would come true. Read together your favourite version of the Christmas story. You can find it in the Bible in Matthew Chapters 1 and 2, and Luke 1-2:40 or in your storybook Bible. The Christmas Journey by Susie Poole (published by Pupfish) and My Very First Nativity Play by Lois Rock (published by Lion) are both great for primary school children and pre-schoolers. As you read the story, can you find ‘signposts’ that point towards Bethlehem? I wonder what signposts you found? I noticed that angels are like signposts to different people throughout

the story. Like the prophets, Angels point the way to Jesus across time (but not so many years as Isaiah!). An angel foretells the birth of John the Baptist and the angel Gabriel appears to Mary to prepare her to be Jesus’ mum. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream (three times!) and many angels appeared to the shepherds to announce Jesus’ birth. Did you notice what the angels often say to the person they are speaking to? I wonder if being told ‘Do not be afraid…’ helped them feel less frightened. What helps you when you feel scared? Did you read the part of the story about the Magi? (they may have been called Wise Men in your version). They had a brilliant signpost showing them how to get to Bethlehem! Can you imagine following a star? I wonder what their journey was like. Do you think they talked and joked and got cross with each other on the way? I just love the Christmas story. There are so many things to be curious about. Keep wondering about the prophets that point to Jesus across many many years. Keep wondering about the Angels that point to Jesus and show the way to Bethlehem. Keep noticing the things that point you to Jesus and the signposts showing you his way of loving and living. Offer these things to God in prayers using your own words.

Seasonal signposting in the greatest story ever told

• I wonder how you know Christmas is coming?

• Have you written in Christmas cards?

• Have you been to a carol or Christingle service?

• Have you watched a Christmas movie?

• Have you worn a Christmas jumper?• Have you been opening an Advent

calendar?• Have you been lighting an Advent

candle?• How else do you know Christmas is

coming?

WONDERINGS AND QUESTIONS

Divine Chocolate is the only UK chocolate company that is 100 per cent Fairtrade certified. It is co-owned by Kuapa Kokoo, a

co-operative of smallholder cocoa farmers in Ghana who grow every bean used in Divine’s bars. Co-ownership means the farmers receive a share of the profits they help to create and greater control of their industry, while you enjoy the delicious flavours and textures of their ‘best of the best’ or, in local language Twi, ‘Pa Pa Paa’ cocoa. Those beans are included in the new Chocolate Tasting Set which contains Divine bars in a range of flavours from sweet and creamy white chocolate with strawberries to 85 per cent dark chocolate for an intense cocoa hit. With flavours to tempt every palate, it’s perfect to share with friends and family, or to give as a thoughtful gift.

“...farm ownership makes a real difference to Kuapa farmers”

Inside the pack is the story of cocoa farmers Francis and Beatrice, explaining how farm ownership makes a real difference to Kuapa farmers. The pack also comes with a chocolate tasting guide, designed to help you get the most out of the flavours, including milk chocolate with toffee and sea salt before moving on to dark chocolate with notes of coconuts, bananas, blueberries and spice. The Door has three Chocolate Tasting Sets as prizes in this month’s competition.

For the chance to win, simply tell us which country the Kuapa Kokoo co-operative is based in. Send your answers to Divine Chocolate Competition, the Door, Church House Oxford, Langford Locks, Kidlington, OX5 1GF or [email protected]. The closing date for entries is Monday 15 January.

Win and taste the Divine justice!

• www.divinechocolate.com

Cartoon copyright: Dave Walker

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January: St Mary’s CE School in Banbury started the year on a high note when Oftsed inspectors. visited. A report from the inspectorate upgraded the school from ‘requires improvement’ in 2014 to ‘good’ at the end of 2016. School staff, clergy and officials from the diocese are pictured.

Through the Door - 2017 in news 6

March: Churches across the diocese highlighted the growing problem of homelessness in the region. The move came as 130 beds in Oxfordshire were lost with the closure of two homes, and churches in Berkshire and Buckinghamshire reported an increased demand for help. Above is a night shelter in Milton Keynes.

September: The Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft came face-to-face with Artie the Robothespian as he joined the Government’s Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence. Bishop Steven said it was vital for the church’s voice to be heard on issues which change the nature of society.

July / August: The Dioceses of Oxford, London, and Southwark presented a united front in response to plans to build a third runway at Heathrow Airport. The three dioceses’ response highlighted the serious concerns they had about the ‘moral, social, and environmental’ challenges of the plans.

October: Hospital chaplaincies were in such demand for their excellent support of patients and their families that an urgent call was made for more volunteers. Some chaplaincies reported a 40 per cent increase in demand for their services in the last five years.

April: An adoption charity started by the then Bishop of Oxford more than a century ago put out an urgent appeal for adopters. Parents and Children Together (PACT) needed volunteers to adopt brothers and sisters so they could stay together as many siblings made up the 2000 children waiting to be adopted in the UK. Photo: Shutterstock.

We should always take some time for reflection, so grab a cup of tea and take a journey through 2017 with some of the biggest stories across the diocese as brought to you by the Door.

What a year it’s been ...

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 1 (ESV)

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Through the Door - 2017 in news Feature 7February: George Michael fans who travelled from across the UK to pay their last respects to the pop star were offered sanctuary and support at St Thomas of Canterbury Church. The singer, who rose to fame in the 1980s, was found dead on Christmas Day and thousands poured into Goring to mourn.

May: Christian Aid Week was marked across the Diocese and a concerted effort was made to provide extra support to refugees. The Rt Revd Dr Alan Wilson, the Bishop of Buckingham, was invited to consider what essentials he would take if he had to flee his home. He chose an ebook, a diary, a Swiss Army Knife, a multiplug, and a mobile phone.

December: The Clewer Initiative is launched by the national Church to end modern day slavery. Backed by the Clewer Sisters, who are based in this diocese, the initiative comes as Thames Valley Police launches its Hidden Harm campaign, to tackle abuse in the region. Both initiatives encourage Christians to keep their eyes and ears open to tackle slavery.

November: An investigation by the Door revealed that the number of people needing support from rural foodbanks had risen sharply as new systems for tax credits and benefits impacted on claimants across the diocese. Chiltern Foodbank reported a rise of more than 400 per cent since 2011, as numbers increased from 5,787 to 24,000.

June: The diocese begins a process of reflection on the kind of Church we are called to be. A new Beatitudes study guide, published later in the year, leads to over 3,000 people looking at what it means to be a more Christ-like Church.

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transform society? The Revd Professor Michael Taylor, Professor Emeritus of Social Theology, University of Birmingham; sometime Director of Christian Aid and Principal of Northern Baptist College, Manchester

31 January Restorative Justice and Anthropology: What potential is there in restorative justice to

combat the “othering” of wrongdoers? Dr Matthew Mills, Lecturer in Medieval Studies and Assistant Dean, Regent’s Park College, Oxford

7 February Restorative Justice and Ritual? What makes for a successful RJ conference from the

point of view of ritual studies and the study of Christian ritual? The Revd Dr Myra Blyth, Chaplain and Fellow in Liturgy and Worship, Regent’s Park College, Oxford; former Deputy General Secretary, Baptist Union of Great Britain, and Programme Director, World Council of Churches

14 February Forgiveness and restorative Justice (part 1): Exploring the nature and implications of the Christian commitment to forgiveness. The Revd Professor Michael Taylor

21 February Forgiveness and Restorative Justice (part 2): The witness of empirical research to the value or otherwise of forgiveness, in Restorative Justice Conferencing. The Revd Dr Myra Blyth

28 February Reparation and Restorative Justice: Is restorative justice enriched by discourse with atonement theology? Dr Matthew Mills

The Door January 2018, page 8

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I would like to congratulate Church Urban Fund on reaching this milestone. For 30 years CUF has been at the forefront of Christian social action in communities large and small, urban and rural, through the length and breadth of this country, amplifying the good work that churches are doing in their communities. Their work is the Gospel in action; it sees lives changed. The Rt Rev & Rt Hon Archbishop of York,

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The Door January 2018, page 10

11Feature

Audio version Sight impaired people can get a free audio verison of the Door by contacting the Oxford Diocese on 01865 208227 and at www.oxford.anglican.org

Editor: Jo Duckles Tel: 01865 208227 Email: [email protected] and Distribution Assistant: Ruth Hamilton-Jones Tel: 01865 208225. [email protected]: Glenda Charitos Tel: 01752 225623 [email protected] Support Group Chair: The Revd Graham Sykes [email protected]

Deadline for February issue: Monday 8 January 2018.Published: Monday 15 January 2018

The Door is published by Oxford Diocesan Board of Finance (Diocesan Secretary, Mrs Rosemary Pearce). The registered office is Church House Oxford, Langford Locks, Kidlington, OX5 1GF. Tel: 01865 208200. While every care is taken to ensure the reliability of our advertisements, their inclusion in The Door does not guarantee it or mean that they are endorsed by the Diocese of Oxford.

Silence at AuschwitzThe Revd Paul Cowan reflects on the silence that envelops the camps where the horrors of the Holocaust took place during World War Two.

On 27 January, we will again be reminded of the Holocaust. For me it’s also the anniversary of a pilgrimage, led by Archbishop

Justin Welby, that I made last year to the Auschwitz and Birkenau camps. As we arrived at the infamous gates to Auschwitz, the conversations quietened and then ceased. It struck me that silence is at one and the same time both wholly appropriate and inappropriate.

As we focus on the contemplative as a diocese, I’ll start by saying that silence is good. Former CBS anchor Dan Rather found

himself unprepared for a television interview with Mother Teresa several years ago. Ron Mehl described the newsman’s encounter: “When you pray,” asked Rather, “what do you say to God?”“I don’t say anything,” she replied. “I listen.” Rather tried another tack, “Well, okay…when God speaks to you, then, what does He say?” “He doesn’t say anything. He listens.” Rather looked bewildered. For an instant, he didn’t know what to say. “And, if you don’t understand that,” Mother Teresa added, “I can’t explain it to you.”

“Silence is the way God speaks to us.”

At the age of 20 I wouldn’t have had the slightest idea what Mother Teresa was saying. I’d have thought she was making an irrational contradiction. As I look back on the way I prayed as a young adult, I am reminded of the prophets of Baal trying to light a fire. The few gaps that there were in my prayers were about trying to squeeze responses out of God, but with guidance, I have learnt to treasure silence. As John of the Cross put it, “Silence is the way God speaks to us.” Job’s friends were doing well in support of their suffering friend until they started talking. Contemplative silence became the secret meeting place where, over two decades, God in an entirely unquantifiable way, has wooed me.

Contemplative prayer, intercession and some level of surrender have given me assurance and peace below the more turbulent emotions that result from the times of suffering that life inevitably brings to each of us.

“Like the cross, the camps acted as a mirror before me...”

At Auschwitz-Birkenau there was a deep sense of walking on holy ground that led us, as a group, instinctively to silence. Like the cross, the camps acted as a mirror before me, showing starkly my personal and our corporate brokenness and potential for evil.

As preparation for the pilgrimage I read Laurence Rees’ book, Auschwitz. Invasion and occupation

brought great fear and fear silenced entire nations. A pernicious silence enveloped not only those herded onto cattle trucks, but their neighbours, who watched. Martin Luther King said: “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” Silence or the lack of a medium to speak is also so often part of the experience of those who are victims, whatever the injustice. Silence is not always holy. It can be complicit and used for evil ends. It can take tremendous courage and be costly to speak out and name the evils of our world. Throughout history, abusers of power have tried to find ways to silence the courageous, prophetic voices that call for justice, love, peace and the protection of the vulnerable. ‘And Amaziah said to Amos, ‘O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your bread

there, and prophesy there; but never again prophesy at Bethel’. (Amos 7.12) Our silence at best gives power to evil and at worst makes us complicit in it.

I am of course aware of how strange it is to talk of holy ground in a place of such industrialised evil. The camps are more

than a museum; they give voices to those who were not heard and who died here in secret. The late afternoon visit to Birkenau camp included a Stations of the Cross walk and we were encouraged to listen in four ways - to the voices from the earth, to the voice of our own hearts, to the voice of the other, and to the voice of God. This struck me as being a good framework for a rule of life. In each generation, we need to learn the pathways to a holy silence that listens to God as we are spoken to through scripture, through the voices of the saints who have gone before us, through our hearts, our reason, the voice of the other, and according to Matthew 25, particularly the voice of the marginalised or vulnerable other. Jesus lived a life that went further than listening; the simple but deeply challenging word being ‘with’. He lived with us. We are celebrating Jesus’ birth, God choosing to live with us and to suffer with and for us. Compassion means more than listening and empathy; it is exceptionally costly because compassion is to walk with and suffer with the silenced and suffering.

Among the physical and emotional suffering, there was also a terrible spiritual anguish.

Not only did God not rescue his children, God remained silent. Many who arrived at the camps as people of faith, in time, rejected God or became atheists. Others continued to find solace and strength from their faith while surrounded by evil. Eliezer Wiesel’s famous account, in his book Night, of having to witness a child hanging on a gallows, encounters this question: ‘Behind me, I heard the same man asking: Where is God now? And I heard a voice within me answer him: Here He is—He is hanging here on this gallows.’ Here is the ‘with’ of God hidden incredibly, mysteriously and paradoxically within the worst experiences of human evil. Only Christ’s death on a cross makes it possible for Wiesel to see in that way. After this experience, Wiesel writes of his desire to reject God but still finds himself praying. There is, somewhere deep within him, a flicker of faith that refuses to be extinguished.

“...compassion is to walk with and suffer with the silenced and suffering.”

I have seen this incredible, inextinguishable flame of faith myself at times in people who have suffered dreadfully in their lives. I have also seen faith broken for those who cannot see or hear God in their suffering. We need to be God to others at these times; to listen and to suffer with them and without quick or simple answers. Personally, I fail at this miserably; I always want to jump to comfortable answers and explanations along with Job’s friends. God give me the capacity to sit with and honour those for whom the valley is very dark, who need the freedom and space to rage at, the God who dies, yet forever refuses to die,the God who reveals himself in scripture, tradition and reason, yet remains a mystery,the God who does not rescue his people, yet remains with them through the darkest of evils,the God who is absent, yet always present,the God who can be rejected, yet cannot be fully escaped,the God who is my master and my friend, yet whom I see only dimly,the God who is silent, yet never stops speaking to my yearning heart. Amen. The Revd Paul Cowan is the Chaplain to the Bishop of Oxford.

Silence is good

Silence is evil

Silence is listening

• A longer version of this reflection can be found here: astonesthrow.org.uk/silence.pdf

Main gate to Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz Birkenau, Poland. Photo: Shutterstock

God is silent

12 God in the life of…

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CATHERINE Clayton tells Jo Duckles about swapping a teaching career to found a charity providing spaces for school children and adults to pray and reflect.

The daughter of a Baptist minister, Catherine grew up moving around. She lived in Birmingham, Kent, Essex and Devon before

settling in Oxford — the last place her parents were based before retiring to Liverpool. She had no earth-shattering moment of conversion. “I went to church regularly ever since I can remember. I was never forced to go; it was always my choice. I have always known God and made a clear commitment when I was 16 or 17,” says Catherine. “Over the last seven or eight years I have seen God work in huge ways in my life and I feel I have become more the person he has created me to be.” Catherine remembers being a teenager in rural churches with few young people. “My parents drove me to bigger town churches with big youth groups.”

After a four-year teaching degree at the University of Winchester, Catherine moved to Oxford where she worshipped at St Aldate’s Church before moving to Emmanuel Church, which provides office space for her charity, BeSpace. During her time as RE co-ordinator and curriculum leader at Benson CE Primary School, Catherine first arranged a Prayer Space for the children. Earlier that year Catherine had suggested praying together to a colleague and within months they were joined by eight people. Through St Aldate’s, Catherine was put in touch with Phil Togwell from Prayer Spaces in Schools.

The headteacher and the staff prayer group helped Catherine arrange the first Prayer Space in Benson. “I remember standing there thinking that this needed to happen in other schools in Oxfordshire.” Catherine met Phil when he visited St Aldate’s for a 24:7 Prayer event. As a result, Catherine embarked on an intern-style year with Emmanuel, facilitating Prayer Spaces in Schools locally while completing the New Frontiers biblical studies programme. With pastoral oversight and office space from Emmanuel, Catherine joined the five-strong national Prayer Spaces in Schools team, which even moved its London meetings to Paddington to enable her to attend. The aim is to equip the local church to support the spiritual life of their schools. Gradually more head teachers and governors heard about the initiative in Oxfordshire and were keen to run events

in their schools. In the first year there were 10 prayer spaces. Committing to live by faith to facilitate Prayer Spaces was a big decision and, on the advice of church leaders, Catherine went on a retreat to reflect on the idea. “I was sitting in a room in a beautiful house with beautiful surroundings talking with God and I felt it was right. I had a sense of peace to continue to do this and that’s what I did.” While running a prayer space she met Joseph Colliass who was volunteering from a church in Grove. As a result he committed to working alongside Catherine, also raising his own support. He did this for the next four years. There were 25 prayer spaces in 2011/2012 and 34 the following year. Numbers continued to grow, with 76 in 2016/17 and 22 already since September 2017. “My journey with Prayer Spaces is all very much connected with my own personal development.

“In a dream, among other things, I felt God telling me to set up a regional charity. He was telling me I could do it, develop a charity in Oxfordshire.” Since then, Prayer Spaces have been trialled in contexts other than schools, including Oxford’s Cowley Road Carnival at St Mary and St John’s Church in Oxford and in an empty shop in Abingdon. BeSpace was officially launched in 2015, with the ethos of ‘creating a space to be’. The strategy for Catherine has always been and continues to be to train local Christians to work together across denominations to serve their schools through prayers spaces. BeSpace was granted charitable status in 2016. Working with clergy, church-goers and youth workers, BeSpace can lend and provide practical support, advice and kit such as sheer fabrics, lights, post-it notes and everything necessary for creative, interactive prayer stations within Oxfordshire. More than a third of the county’s schools have been involved with BeSpace. “Looking to the future we are hoping that every school has space for children to have the opportunity to connect with God and to see these spaces in other areas of the community. BeSpace employs one full-time member of staff and Catherine continues to live by faith. “I have learnt so much in the last seven years living by faith. God has challenged me as a person and I understand myself and what God is calling me to do better. It’s a privilege how he’s worked through me.” This year, Catherine has also been asked to support the Diocese of London in facilitating Prayer Spaces. Catherine lives in Oxford. In her spare time she enjoys swimming and has started to get into climbing.

“Over the last seven or eight years I have seen God work in huge ways in my life”

• www.bespace.be • [email protected] • To donate:

www.give.net/20194970

Catherine Clayton at Rick’s Café in Oxford. Photo: Jo Duckles

www.oxford.anglican.orgPull this section out. Keep it handy for your own prayers and involvement in the diocese.

January 2018

“Through a (stable) door lightly...”C.S. Lewis, the author of the Narnia chronicles, had a fascination with doors. They open in unexpected places. There is often more on the inside than you can see on the outside. Sometimes, in fiction, they allow you to pass between worlds and catch glimpses of eternity, writes the Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft.

Many of us will have opened the doors on an Advent calendar in December. Christmas is a season when many of us go

through an unusual number of doors. We knock on the doors of family and friends, sometimes after long journeys on dark evenings.

“The stable door becomes the way to begin to see Jesus...”

We open the doors of our own homes to guests and visitors and close them again when they leave us. Across the Diocese of Oxford we will welcome tens of thousands of people across the threshold of churches in villages and cities and towns, from

Milton Keynes to Newbury and from Chipping Norton down to Denham. There will be children clutching Christingles, toddlers on Christmas morning with new toys, the family cooks arriving for the early service of Holy Communion, packed carol services, end of term school services and families worshipping together, singing familiar

carols and coming together to wonder, to pray and to give thanks. As well as services in over 800 parish churches, there will be worship in hospitals and nursing homes, in RAF and Army bases here and overseas, in school and college chapels, in town halls and shopping malls. My favourite door in all of C.S. Lewis’s stories comes in The Last Battle, the last of The Narnia chronicles. I still have the copy I was given as a child: it’s dog eared and held together with sellotape and originally sold for three shillings and sixpence. The whole plot of the Last Battle turns around a rough stable door. Initially, the door is a meeting place, then a place of refuge. But it becomes the place to enter into a richer and deeper country, to come farther up and farther in, to enter life.

...it becomes the place to enter into a richer and deeper country...”

The original Christmas story only contains one line about the stable, in Luke: “And Mary gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” (2.7). It is this line which gives us traditional crib scenes and carols, with animals and shepherds and visitors. The

stable door becomes the way to begin to see Jesus, the gateway to a deep and rich and eternal life. Church doors come in all shapes and sizes. But I hope, in this Christmas season, they will all be ways to life. People will come through them for all kinds of reasons. Some will be restless, some afraid and some not seeking anything at all. And somehow in the quietness and stillness of ancient thin places, or through the music, or through Bible readings we have heard since childhood, or the kindness of a stranger’s smile, or the preacher’s words, God will speak – nearly always very gently – and say to many different people: “Come and see!” Let this be the year when you come home. Let this be the year when you open the door a little wider and taste my love. Let this be the year when you choose life and truth and goodness. Come on in. The Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft is the Bishop of Oxford.

• Read more of Bishop Steven’s reflections at: blogs.oxford.anglican.org

Photos: Shutterstock

January prayer diary

SUNDAYS: 8am Holy Communion; 9.45am Matins (coffee in Priory Room); 11am Sung Eucharist; 6pm Evensong.

WEEKDAYS: 7.15am Morning Prayer; 7.35am Holy Communion; 1pm (Wednesday only) Holy Communion; 6pm Evensong (Thursday Sung Eucharist 6pm).

Tel: 01865 276155 www.chch.ox.ac.uk/cathedral

The following is for guidance only; please feel free to adapt to local conditions and, if you wish, produce your own deanery prayer diaries.

Services at Christ Church Cathedral

Our purpose is to create a caring, sustainable and growing Christian presence in every part of the Diocese of Oxford. ‘He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.’Psalm 40:3

Pray to the Father through the Son in the power of the Spirit for:

MONDAY 1 For our bishops Steven, Andrew, Alan and Colin as they lead the diocese into 2018. For God’s blessing on Bishop Colin during his sabbatical.

TUESDAY 2 Bradfield Deanery: Heather Parbury, Chris Newman, Michael Betts, Vanessa Saunders, Grahame Solway, Paul Doyle, David Gibbons, Julian Gadsby, Glynn Lautenbach. For our Standing and Pastoral Committee and the twenty-seven parishes we serve at a time of change and opportunity for mission in the deanery.

WEDNESDAY 3 Aldermaston and Woolhampton: Pat Bhutta, Janice Macdonald and Margaret Davison. For the person God is calling to be our new rector to see and respond to our advertisement. For the churchwardens and ministry team as they care for the benefice during the vacancy. Brimpton Primary School, Woolhampton Primary School and Aldermaston Primary School.

THURSDAY 4 Basildon with Aldworth and Ashampstead: Will Watts, Jonathan Sandbach, Rosemary Sandbach, Amy Cavender, Katy Weston, Roz Watts and Mike Penny. Give thanks for a developing ministry team. For our Alpha course, which we are preparing to run in the new year. Basildon Primary School.

FRIDAY 5 Bradfield and Stanford Dingley: Julian Gadsby and Lyn Bliss. For the plans to reorder the church at Stanford Dingley, providing a kitchen and toilets; for the fundraising and the ministry opportunities this project will provide. For the church and community at Bradfield, as plans are finalised to close the parish church, and for the potential sale of the building. For the recently launched toddlers service, Little Fishes, and for the parents and children. Bradfield Primary School.

SATURDAY 6 Bucklebury: Julian Gadsby and David Sammon. For God to raise up preachers and service leaders. For the Alpha course being run across our benefices in January. Bucklebury Primary School.

MONDAY 8 Burghfield: Glynn Lautenbach, Alison Eves, Mike Wood, Lorraine Colam. For our congregation as we embark on the process of Partners in Missional Church and for guidance and encouragement for wherever the process leads us. For future outreach and engagement with the families in the parish. St Mary’s Primary School, Burghfield.

TUESDAY 9 Pangbourne with Tidmarsh and Sulham: Heather Parbury, Julia Sheppard, Stephen Billyeald, Helen Hopwood, Wilma Grant, Vanessa Saunders, Dennis Jones, Jill Palfrey, Janice Proud, Cliff Thorne, Carol Atkins, Jacky Rix Brown. Give thanks for the current ministry in our parish, lay and ordained. For us as we continue to seek discernment of God’s calling to all his people to join in active discipleship.

WEDNESDAY 10 Purley: David Archer and Andrew Mackie. Purley Primary School.

THURSDAY 11 Stratfield Mortimer and Mortimer West End with Padworth: Paul Chaplin. For the renewal of the mission of the Stratfield Mortimer Benefice Stewardship Programme. For the renewal of the mission of the Stratfield Mortimer Benefice fellowship groups. Mortimer St John’s Infant School and Mortimer St Mary’s Junior School.

FRIDAY 12 Sulhamstead Abbots and Bannister with Ufton Nervet: John Paton. For the Revd John Paton, who will be licensed as Priest in Charge today. For the Revd Anthony Peabody (Associate Priest), the whole team and congregation as they begin this new exciting chapter of life at St Mary’s. Sulhamstead and Ufton Nervet Primary School.

SATURDAY 13 Theale and Englefield: Ann Templeman, Peter Templeman and Nick Wynne-Jones. For the parishes of Theale and Englefield in the midst of proposed pastoral reorganisation; that we all continue to focus on our central task of sharing and living out the good news of Jesus Christ in our community.

Theale Primary School and Englefield Primary School.

MONDAY 15 Buckingham Deanery: Ros Roberts, Georgie Christopher, Paul Cresswell, Nicki Stuchbury, Timothy Mullins, Will Pearson-Gee, Hans Taling, Gussie Walsh and Liz Simpson. For the Parish of Stowe as it continues to deliberate over its positioning within the deanery. For the Buckingham Deanery Synod meeting on 23 January when pastoral reorganisation is to be discussed.

TUESDAY 16 Buckingham Benefice: Will Pearson-Gee, Gussie Walsh, John King, Danny Rodgers, Sandra Cosby, John Hamilton, Vicky Southby, Valerie Evans, Paul Wallace, Paul Mileham and Pauline Stanton-Saringer. For our plans to reorganise the benefice. For our children’s, youth and families’ ministries. St James and St John Primary School, Chackmore and Whaddon School.

WEDNESDAY 17 Lenborough: Ros Roberts. Give thanks and pray for the growing number of people taking courses on Communion by Extension and Pastoral Care, and leading new community events, services and activities including the prayer shawl ministry. Give thanks for the blessing their ministry brings to others. For us to build and rebuild our communities of faith and encourage whole life discipleship in the benefice. Padbury School.

THURSDAY 18 North Buckingham: Hans Taling and Margaret Culley. For the adaptation of St Nicholas church in Dayrell for community use, besides the regular services. For the new chapel-esque pavillion structure, in Akeley churchyard, as a visible sign of Christian presence in the village. St James and St John Primary School, Akeley and Maids Moreton School.

FRIDAY 19 Stowe: Andrew Rudolf, Kay Murray, Gillian Macdonald, Revd Pat Howard, Tony Meredith, John Kimpton and Margaret Ryley. For wisdom for those making the decisions about the role and place of Stowe Church in the mission of Christ’s church in this area; that we, as a congregation at Stowe, seek only the way forward that is according to God’s will.

SATURDAY 20 West Buckingham: Liz Simpson, Margaret Tilley and Eleanor

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Zuercher. That the work will continue quickly on the floor at Tingewick so that the church can be used for more outreach and community events. That the church in Turweston will find ways forward in spite of falling numbers and changes in the village population due to the impact of HS2.

MONDAY 22 Chipping Norton Deanery: Sally Welch, Alan Kennedy, Oliver Chapple, Paul Mansell and Andrew Savage. For all building and development works to proceed smoothly. For those benefices who are, or will soon be, in vacancy.

TUESDAY 23 Charlbury with Shorthampton: Sally Welch, Jan Fielden, Patricia Bird and Christine Pearce. For the building works to progress without obstacles. For Messy Church, that it may continue to grow, both in numbers and depth of teaching.

WEDNESDAY 24 Chipping Norton Team Ministry: James Kennedy, David Salter, Ursula and Roger Simpson, Martha Simpson and Jackie Jones. For our outreach ministries through the church primary school, our community youth club, Remix, and our CAP Debt Centre. For our mid-week small groups to continue to grow in number and in depth of discipleship. St Mary’s Primary School, Chipping Norton. For our outreach ministries through the church primary school, our community youth club, Remix, and our CAP Debt Centre. For our mid-week small groups to continue to grow in number and in depth of discipleship. St Mary’s Primary School, Chipping Norton.

THURSDAY 25 Great Tew with Little Tew and Heythrop: Ginny Thomas, Richard Veale, Lilac Bridge, Claire Freeman and John Sword. That the three parishes in

the benefice may grow in supporting each other in worship and church events. For the benefice to continue to strengthen its outreach to those in need.

FRIDAY 26 Hook Norton with Great Rollright, Swerford and Wigginton: John Acreman, Wendy Cunningham, Janet Collins and Keith Disney. For the way forward, as we prepare for the retirement of our Rector and his wife, Sheila, in July, after 25 years among us. For the person God is calling to come and share with us in the wonderful blessing and joy of the on-going ministry in these four villages. Great Rollright Primary School and Hook Norton Primary School.

SATURDAY 27 Forest Edge: Paul Mansell and Sarah Jones. For Finstock and Leafield Church of England Primary Schools and for Janey and Christian, our headteachers. For Simon, Marian, John

and Roz, our churchwardens, and all those on our PCCs.

MONDAY 29 Wychwood: For the benefice as they start their interregnum. Wychwood Primary School.

TUESDAY 30 The Chase: Mark Abrey and Ilona Cheyne. Give thanks for the successful completion of the reordering of St Kenelm’s Church, Enstone, which has been thirty years in the planning. For the newly formed Benefice Leadership Team. Chadlington Primary School.

WEDNESDAY 31 Maidenhead and Windsor Deanery: Margaret Bird, John Sykes, Jim Tucker, Thomas Walton, Vera Hunt and Ben Whitaker. For those exploring vocations to lay or ordained ministry. For work in schools and with all young people, especially those with mental health issues.

�e Revd Anthea Platt has been appointed Chaplain of Downe House School; �e Revd Canon Gary Ecclestone has been appointed Area Dean of Newport in addition to his current role; �e Revd Kate Stacey has been appointed Team Rector for the Stroud Team Ministry in the Diocese of Gloucester; �e Revd Graeme Arthur is retiring from his post as Rector of Westcote Barton with Steeple Barton, Duns Tew, Sandford St Martin and Over with Nether Worton; �e Revd �omas

Watts has been appointed Senior Minister at St John’s, Downshire Hill in the Diocese of London; �e Revd Dr Emma Pennington has been appointed Area Dean of Aston and Cuddesdon Deanery in addition to her role as Vicar of Garsington, Cuddesdon and Horspath.�e following have been given permission to o�ciate: �e Revd Dr David Wenham; �e Revd Alister McGrath; �e Revd Robert Wynford-Harris; �e Revd Peter Taylor.

Coming and GoingsSundaysSUNDAY 7 For the Venerable Martin Gorick, Archdeacon of Oxford.

SUNDAY 14 For the Venerable Judy French, Archdeacon of Dorchester.

SUNDAY 21 For the Venerable Olivia Graham, Archdeacon of Berkshire.

SUNDAY 28 For the Venerable Guy Elsmore, Archdeacon of Buckingham.

Links Prayers from Christian Concern for One World:

www.ccow.org.uk/weekly-prayer-email

Topical prayers from the Church of England:

www.churchofengland.org/prayer-worship/topical-prayers.aspx

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Events in January

thedoorpostThe Doorpost is a free service for churches to advertise their events and is designed to be hung on church noticeboards. Please send your events to [email protected] or by post to Church House. The deadline for the next issue is Monday 8 January 2018.

CoursesInspired to Follow: Art and the Bible Story: St Mary’s and Wallingford Baptist churches will be running this free course, created by The National Gallery and St Martin-in-the-Fields. Taster session at Wallingford Baptist Church, Thames St, 2pm-3.15pm on Wednesday 24 January. Further sessions will be at the same time and place on 31 January, 7 February, 14 February (no session on 21 February), 28 February, 7 March, 14 March. The facilitators will be Helen King (St Mary’s, Wallingford) and Esther Mason (Wallingford Baptist). For more information email [email protected].

A Study Course on the Beatitudes: St Michael’s Church, Park Road, Abingdon OX14 1DS. The course starts on 27 January and ends in the second week of March. Following Bishop Steven’s invitation to the diocese to read the Beatitudes, to reflect on them and to live them together, St Michael’s has invited four speakers, The Revd Professor John Barton, The Revd Dr Paul Sheppy, The Revd Dr Phillip Tovey and The Revd Canon Dr Emma Percy, to share their reflections on different aspects of

the Beatitudes, on the mornings of Saturday 27 January, 10, 24 February and 10 March. Sessions start at 11am, ending by 12.30pm. Each session will open with a talk and questions, followed by a period for reading a passage of scripture (“divine reading”) and will conclude with a short act of worship led by Fr Paul Smith, Team Vicar at St Michael’s. For more information contact David Duce on 01235 522591.

Church History and Doctrine: This ten-week course, organised by the Diocese of Oxford and held in venues in Wendover, Oxford and Reading, offers a broad overview of the history of the Church, exploring a selection of key doctrinal developments along the way. It will encourage us to relate our own contemporary Christian practice to that history, and show how the Church has responded to surrounding culture throughout its existence. Early, Mediaeval, Reformation and Modern periods will all be covered during the course, which aims to excite a passion for historical and doctrinal thinking. Book via ldm.eventbrite.co.uk.

SUNDAY 7 JANUARY

Oxford: Christ Church starts a special sermon series at the 9.45am Choral Matins linking in with the exhibition Imagining the Divine at the Ashmolean.

THURSDAY 11 JANUARY

Faringdon: Designer Babies: Should we play God? The Rt Revd Dr Lee Rayfield is the speaker. Part of the Science and Faith: Big Questions series at the Corn Exchange, 7.30pm. Entry and refreshments free. Visit www.allsaintsfaringdon.org.uk for more information.

SATURDAY 13 JANUARY

Didcot: Good Old Fashioned Jumble Sale, All Saints Youth and Community Hall, Roman Place, Didcot OX11 7ER. New/Nearly New/Jumble, Books, Bric-a-Brac, Refreshments. Entrance 20p.

SUNDAY 14 JANUARY

Cookham: Epiphany Carols by Candlelight, Holy Trinity Church, 6.30pm. Collection in aid of Thames Hospice.

WEDNESDAY 17 JANUARY

Henley Deanery: Plough Wednesday, 9.45am–4pm. The annual opportunity to reflect on rural and agricultural issues. The programme includes visits to Mapledurham Estate, Shiplake Farm, lunch at Bix Manor, Manor Farm Nettlebed, with a concluding evening service. Organised by the diocesan rural team. £10.50 per person, including lunch. Book via Eventbrite.com.

FRIDAY 26 JANUARY

Oxford: Revd Canon Dr Emma Percy, Chaplain and Welfare Dean, Trinity College, Oxford will discuss her book Mothering as a Metaphor for Ministry (2014) at The House of St Gregory and St Macrina, 1 Canterbury Road. Emma researches, writes and speaks about theology and mothering, Anglican ministry and the theology of care. She is a committee member of Women and the Church (WATCH) and sits on a National Research Ethics committee as a lay member. Starts 12.30pm, when tea and coffee are available to drink with your own packed lunch; the

talk begins at 1pm. Discussion follows the speaker and the meeting closes at 2pm. Organised by the Unicorn Ecumenical Group.

SATURDAY 27 JANUARY

Abingdon: Vespers by Candlelight Concert, 7:30pm, St Michael and All Angels’ Church, Park Road, OX14 1DS. An evening of choral music on the evening of Holocaust Memorial Day. Rachmaninov’s Vespers, Allegri’s Miserere, Tippett’s Five Spirituals from A Child of Our Time and some rousing Klezmer music for clarinet (David Mears). Performed by the Newman Singers and conducted by Sally Mears. Tickets in advance from the Bookstore, Abingdon or online at www.abingdonpassionplay.org.uk or on the door for £10. In aid of the Abingdon Passion Play.

Oxford: Installation of honorary canons and admission of new members of the Order of St Frideswide, Christ Church Cathedral, 6pm as part of Evensong.

Image probably by Fra Angelico. Christ Glorified in the Court of Heaven: Central Predella Panel. © The National Gallery, London. The National Gallery and St Martin-in-the-Fields have created the course Art and the Bible Story, now running in our diocese.

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